Is Adobe Really Moving to the Cloud?

By Anders Bylund – May 13, 2013 at 6:00PM

NASDAQ: ADBE

Adobe

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Adobe's software is now tied to a subscription model, but that's not exactly the same as a cloud-based platform. This video explains the subtle differences.

Adobe (ADBE -1.73%) is leaving permanent software licenses behind, and will deliver its creative tools exclusively via its cloud-based subscription hub. The company hailed this move as an "accelerated shift to the cloud."

In the video below, Fool contributor Anders Bylund explains why Adobe seems to be overstating the cloud component of this move. In fact, both Microsoft (MSFT -1.27%) and Google (GOOGL -1.23%) sit a lot closer to true cloud-computing than Adobe does.

A Microsoft executive recently came close to promising Office users a choice between leasing or buying for the next decade or so, but his superiors soon pointed out that the future lies with subscription services, after all. And Google is nothing if not cloud-based. Your move, Adobe.

Fool contributor Anders Bylund owns shares of Google, but he holds no other position in any company mentioned. Check out Anders' bio and holdings or follow him on Twitter and Google+.

The Motley Fool owns shares of Google. Motley Fool newsletter services have recommended buying shares of Adobe Systems and Google. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. We Fools may not all hold the same opinions, but we all believe that considering a diverse range of insights makes us better investors.